Heart Health News

Some Parkinson's Patients Discover an Artistic Side

THURSDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Some people with
Parkinson's disease discover untapped artistic abilities after
their diagnosis -- a phenomenon that seems to be related to their
dopamine-enhancing medication.

Over the years, reports have popped up in the medical literature
on Parkinson's patients who suddenly discover they are painters,
sculptors or writers at heart.

Dan Joseph is one of them. After being diagnosed with the
movement disorder a dozen years ago, the former doctor eventually
took up painting. But it wasn't because he planned on becoming an
artist.

He decided to follow that advice and soon discovered that when
he painted, his hand tremors improved. He also discovered that he
actually had talent; about six years after first picking up a
paintbrush, Joseph has had three solo art exhibitions.

No one knows how common it is for Parkinson's patients to find
their inner painter or creative writer, according to Dr. Rivka
Inzelberg, of Tel Aviv University and Sheba Medical Center, in
Israel.

But when she pulled together past case reports on 14 such
patients, Inzelberg found that the phenomenon does appear to be
related to treatment with levodopa and so-called dopamine agonists
-- Parkinson's drugs that enhance the action of the brain chemical
dopamine.

One patient, for example, suddenly became interested in creative
writing after starting levodopa and a dopamine agonist. That
interest waned, however, when the drug doses were cut, Inzelberg
reported in the Jan. 14 online edition of the journal
Behavioral Neuroscience.

Parkinson's disease arises when dopamine-producing cells in the
brain die off over time. That leads to symptoms such as tremors,
rigid muscles, slowed movement and balance problems. Levodopa and
dopamine agonists -- drugs like Requip (ropinirole) and Mirapex
(pramipexole) -- help make up for that dopamine loss.

But dopamine is not only involved in movement; it's also
connected to the brain's "reward system." And it's well known that
some Parkinson's patients on dopamine-enhancing drugs develop
so-called impulse-control disorders -- such as compulsive gambling
and hypersexuality (commonly known as "sex addiction").

Inzelberg said it's possible that for certain Parkinson's
patients, the medications lower inhibitions that once held back any
creative impulses.

"It is also possible that dopamine is involved in creativity in general," Inzelberg said. That theory, she noted, is based on the observation that artists who suffer psychosis -- which involves excessive dopamine activity -- can become remarkably productive. Think Vincent Van Gogh.

That's all speculation, though. Experts know little about why
some people on Parkinson's drugs suddenly find creative
inspiration. But it does seem to be related to the medications
themselves, agreed Dr. Anhar Hassan, an assistant professor of
neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., who was not
involved in the report.

"This does suggest that the medication is driving the behavior," Hassan said.

But, she added, "it would be giving false hope to imply to
patients that if they start on medication, they'll become
artistic."

While no one knows how common this medicated-related creativity
might be, it is almost certainly far less common than negative side
effects such as impulsive gambling. In her own study, Hassan found
that about one in five patients on Parkinson's drugs developed some
form of impulse-control problem.

Dr. Martin Niethammer, a neurologist at North Shore-LIJ's
Cushing Neuroscience Institute in Great Neck, N.Y., said he's seen
many patients who develop problems with impulse control while on
Parkinson's medications, but only one or two who seemed to become
more creative.

Both he and Hassan said the phenomenon is probably rare --
though it may be under-recognized because patients do not think to
tell their doctors about it.

Another thing that's not clear, Niethammer said, is how many of
the patients in the current report developed a "talent" in writing
or painting, or simply an interest.

Of course, if the activity brings them pleasure, it doesn't
really matter. "If this brings joy to people, then that's great,"
Niethammer said.

In some cases, the creative expression seems to bring more than
enjoyment: It also seems to help some patients with their tremors,
according to Inzelberg.

That's what happened for Dan Joseph. Painting seems to calm his
tremors, and he feels like his vision becomes more "acute." "I've
found that I can sit for hours and paint," said Joseph, who has
also recently taken up poetry writing.

And despite the art shows, the fact that he has talent comes
second for Joseph. "I really paint for myself," he said. "I feel
happy when I'm painting and I'm creating."

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.